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		<h1>20.  The Dainty China Country</h1>

<p>
While the Woodman was making a ladder from wood which he found in the
forest Dorothy lay down and slept, for she was tired by the long walk.
The Lion also curled himself up to sleep and Toto lay beside him.
</p><p>
The Scarecrow watched the Woodman while he worked, and said to him:
</p><p>
"I cannot think why this wall is here, nor what it is made of."
</p><p>
"Rest your brains and do not worry about the wall," replied the
Woodman.  "When we have climbed over it, we shall know what is on the
other side."
</p><p>
After a time the ladder was finished.  It looked clumsy, but the Tin
Woodman was sure it was strong and would answer their purpose.  The
Scarecrow waked Dorothy and the Lion and Toto, and told them that the
ladder was ready.  The Scarecrow climbed up the ladder first, but he
was so awkward that Dorothy had to follow close behind and keep him
from falling off.  When he got his head over the top of the wall the
Scarecrow said, "Oh, my!"
</p><p>
"Go on," exclaimed Dorothy.
</p><p>
So the Scarecrow climbed farther up and sat down on the top of the
wall, and Dorothy put her head over and cried, "Oh, my!" just as the
Scarecrow had done.
</p><p>
Then Toto came up, and immediately began to bark, but Dorothy made him
be still.
</p><p>
The Lion climbed the ladder next, and the Tin Woodman came last; but
both of them cried, "Oh, my!" as soon as they looked over the wall.
When they were all sitting in a row on the top of the wall, they looked
down and saw a strange sight.
</p><p>
Before them was a great stretch of country having a floor as smooth and
shining and white as the bottom of a big platter.  Scattered around
were many houses made entirely of china and painted in the brightest
colors.  These houses were quite small, the biggest of them reaching
only as high as Dorothy's waist.  There were also pretty little barns,
with china fences around them; and many cows and sheep and horses and
pigs and chickens, all made of china, were standing about in groups.
</p><p>
But the strangest of all were the people who lived in this queer
country.  There were milkmaids and shepherdesses, with brightly colored
bodices and golden spots all over their gowns; and princesses with most
gorgeous frocks of silver and gold and purple; and shepherds dressed in
knee breeches with pink and yellow and blue stripes down them, and
golden buckles on their shoes; and princes with jeweled crowns upon
their heads, wearing ermine robes and satin doublets; and funny clowns
in ruffled gowns, with round red spots upon their cheeks and tall,
pointed caps.  And, strangest of all, these people were all made of
china, even to their clothes, and were so small that the tallest of
them was no higher than Dorothy's knee.
</p><p>
No one did so much as look at the travelers at first, except one little
purple china dog with an extra-large head, which came to the wall and
barked at them in a tiny voice, afterwards running away again.
</p><p>
"How shall we get down?" asked Dorothy.
</p><p>
They found the ladder so heavy they could not pull it up, so the
Scarecrow fell off the wall and the others jumped down upon him so that
the hard floor would not hurt their feet.  Of course they took pains
not to light on his head and get the pins in their feet.  When all were
safely down they picked up the Scarecrow, whose body was quite
flattened out, and patted his straw into shape again.
</p><p>
"We must cross this strange place in order to get to the other side,"
said Dorothy, "for it would be unwise for us to go any other way except
due South."
</p><p>
They began walking through the country of the china people, and the
first thing they came to was a china milkmaid milking a china cow.  As
they drew near, the cow suddenly gave a kick and kicked over the stool,
the pail, and even the milkmaid herself, and all fell on the china
ground with a great clatter.
</p><p>
Dorothy was shocked to see that the cow had broken her leg off, and
that the pail was lying in several small pieces, while the poor
milkmaid had a nick in her left elbow.
</p><p>
"There!" cried the milkmaid angrily.  "See what you have done!  My cow
has broken her leg, and I must take her to the mender's shop and have
it glued on again.  What do you mean by coming here and frightening my
cow?"
</p><p>
"I'm very sorry," returned Dorothy.  "Please forgive us."
</p><p>
But the pretty milkmaid was much too vexed to make any answer.  She
picked up the leg sulkily and led her cow away, the poor animal limping
on three legs.  As she left them the milkmaid cast many reproachful
glances over her shoulder at the clumsy strangers, holding her nicked
elbow close to her side.
</p><p>
Dorothy was quite grieved at this mishap.
</p><p>
"We must be very careful here," said the kind-hearted Woodman, "or we
may hurt these pretty little people so they will never get over it."
</p><p>
A little farther on Dorothy met a most beautifully dressed young
Princess, who stopped short as she saw the strangers and started to run
away.
</p><p>
Dorothy wanted to see more of the Princess, so she ran after her.  But
the china girl cried out:
</p><p>
"Don't chase me!  Don't chase me!"
</p><p>
She had such a frightened little voice that Dorothy stopped and said,
"Why not?"
</p><p>
"Because," answered the Princess, also stopping, a safe distance away,
"if I run I may fall down and break myself."
</p><p>
"But could you not be mended?" asked the girl.
</p><p>
"Oh, yes; but one is never so pretty after being mended, you know,"
replied the Princess.
</p><p>
"I suppose not," said Dorothy.
</p><p>
"Now there is Mr. Joker, one of our clowns," continued the china lady,
"who is always trying to stand upon his head.  He has broken himself so
often that he is mended in a hundred places, and doesn't look at all
pretty.  Here he comes now, so you can see for yourself."
</p><p>
Indeed, a jolly little clown came walking toward them, and Dorothy
could see that in spite of his pretty clothes of red and yellow and
green he was completely covered with cracks, running every which way
and showing plainly that he had been mended in many places.
</p><p>
The Clown put his hands in his pockets, and after puffing out his
cheeks and nodding his head at them saucily, he said:
</p><p>
  "My lady fair,
     Why do you stare
   At poor old Mr. Joker?
     You're quite as stiff
   And prim as if
     You'd eaten up a poker!"

</p><p>
"Be quiet, sir!" said the Princess.  "Can't you see these are
strangers, and should be treated with respect?"
</p><p>
"Well, that's respect, I expect," declared the Clown, and immediately
stood upon his head.
</p><p>
"Don't mind Mr. Joker," said the Princess to Dorothy.  "He is
considerably cracked in his head, and that makes him foolish."
</p><p>
"Oh, I don't mind him a bit," said Dorothy.  "But you are so
beautiful," she continued, "that I am sure I could love you dearly.
Won't you let me carry you back to Kansas, and stand you on Aunt Em's
mantel?  I could carry you in my basket."
</p><p>
"That would make me very unhappy," answered the china Princess.  "You
see, here in our country we live contentedly, and can talk and move
around as we please.  But whenever any of us are taken away our joints
at once stiffen, and we can only stand straight and look pretty.  Of
course that is all that is expected of us when we are on mantels and
cabinets and drawing-room tables, but our lives are much pleasanter
here in our own country."
</p><p>
"I would not make you unhappy for all the world!" exclaimed Dorothy.
"So I'll just say good-bye."
</p><p>
"Good-bye," replied the Princess.
</p><p>
They walked carefully through the china country.  The little animals
and all the people scampered out of their way, fearing the strangers
would break them, and after an hour or so the travelers reached the
other side of the country and came to another china wall.
</p><p>
It was not so high as the first, however, and by standing upon the
Lion's back they all managed to scramble to the top.  Then the Lion
gathered his legs under him and jumped on the wall; but just as he
jumped, he upset a china church with his tail and smashed it all to
pieces.
</p><p>
"That was too bad," said Dorothy, "but really I think we were lucky in
not doing these little people more harm than breaking a cow's leg and a
church.  They are all so brittle!"
</p><p>
"They are, indeed," said the Scarecrow, "and I am thankful I am made of
straw and cannot be easily damaged.  There are worse things in the
world than being a Scarecrow."
</p>

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